The Necessary Shia LaBeouf

He is, isn’t he? He’s a total disaster but is there anyone else like him in the under 30 market? Or even over 30? A dependably good actor (though not always in dependably good movies), who, for better or worse, is always good for an entertaining interview and he can make traffic interesting. I like how Dean described him: “noted weirdo” Shia LaBeouf. That should officially be how we reference him: Noted Weirdo Shia LaBeouf. Or, Shia LaBeouf, Noted Weirdo. He reminds me of Christian Bale, before Bale (mostly) got his sh*t together.

And like Bale, Shia is imminently watchable. Even when the movie is a bit dodgy, he remains compelling. He’s not quite a full blown screen tyrant, but he’s getting there. He’s always had a preternatural confidence in his performances—it’s what made him such a good child actor, and it’s what allows him to carry crap like Transformers and come out relatively unscathed. His public persona is one thing—although I have a lot of affection for that bugf*ck bastard and his creepy mom-loving ways because goddamn, Shia is GOOD for gossip—but his screen persona is just so likeable. You root for him, almost against your will.

That quality of confidence is on display in the new trailer for Charlie Countryman, formerly titled The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman. The movie itself looks iffy—what is with Evan Rachel Wood’s accent?—but Shia is as watchable as always. Lainey pointed out how good he is at being stressed out, and I love his reaction to the dead guy on the plane. He doesn’t overplay it and has perfect delivery—I know he’s Mr. Serious but someone should really cast him in a comedy. (Also, how is it possible he hasn’t been in a Woody Allen movie yet? Doesn’t he seem perfect for Allen’s proxy act?) I could watch “I need a wet nap” on a loop. Shia is a nutjob but God is he fun.